SIDES are running scared of the Sharks as they step up a gear in their quest to lift rugby union's Zurich Premiership title for the first time.

Harlequins narrowed their pitch at The Stoop on Saturday in a bid to contain them, but were still given a 45-0 battering - the Londoners' biggest-ever defeat in their own backyard.

Sharks have a back division that, one Premiership coach said, is a unit to die for. But too many sides are overlooking the forwards at their peril.

That's Steve Diamond's department, and the former abrasive hooker rubbed his hands when he saw what the Quins management had done to the pitch on Saturday.

"What a psychological advantage that was," he said. "They hadn't done their homework properly if they thought they could stop us playing a wide game.

Scared

"I told the boys that Quins were scared of them and suggested they went out to really put the frighteners on.

"We have some great backs and you only have to look at the Zurich charts for confirmation, with Steve Hanley and Mark Cueto leaving the rest behind.

"But, good as they are, they need the platform and our pack is really coming into its own. Our ability to drive the ball up the field is as good as you will see anywhere and that includes Gloucester and Leicester."

Now Diamond believes the Sharks can not only get into the plays-offs at the end of the season but also lift the title.

He explained: "We are now dominating the lineout and our driving play has proved very effective.

"Until recently our away form has been disappointing, but the cross code game against St Helens at Knowsley Road has really helped."